Q: When I ask him to do something, my 2-year-old screams “No!” and then swings at me. When he hits me, I firmly reprimand him and try to put him in time-out, but that only makes matters worse. I’ve tried ignoring his screaming, but that doesn’t work. What should I do?

A: He must be your first child. Or, your first child was the one child in a hundred who wasn’t a “terrible” two. In either case, it’s behavior of the sort you describe — illogical, irrational, violent — that has given this age such a bad reputation. It’s also why one of my graduate school psychology professors maintained that toddlers were psychotic.

Yes, I know I’ve already written about Mother Nature, but let’s face it, she seems angrier than ever this year and her most recent temperature tantrum has no end in sight.
I don’t have to tell you. It’s been impossible for anyone to miss the fact that we’re in the middle of a record-setting heat wave that is not only dangerous, but also deadly.

We are excited to announce details about this year’s NCLAC Summer Arts Camps. There are changes in store for 2015, and we hope you send the children in your lives to experience camp with NCLAC for a fun, multidisciplinary arts encounter.